Tuesday, June 17, 2025

1) TPNPB OPM Threatens to Shoot Road and Bridge Workers in Intan Jaya


2) Chronology of OPM Attack: TNI Soldier Killed in Yahukimo, Papua  

3) Police accused of shooting Papuan teenager in Dogiyai

4) Ministry, Papuan provinces tie up to end malaria by 2030  

5) Govt picks Papuan regions for mass malaria medication pilot  



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1) TPNPB OPM Threatens to Shoot Road and Bridge Workers in Intan Jaya  
Reporter Hanin Marwah 
June 17, 2025 | 12:44 pm

TEMPO.COJakarta - The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB OPM) Kodap VIII Intan Jaya threatened to launch a military operation if the Indonesian government continues the construction of roads from Nabire to Ilaga and from Sugapa to Ugimba. The threats were conveyed by the Deputy Commander of TPNPB Kodap VIII Intan Jaya, Colonel Apeni Kobogau, through the Management of the TPNPB Central Headquarters.

"We are prepared to shoot the road workers because all the workers are part of the Indonesian military apparatus," said TPNPB-OPM spokesperson Sebby Sambom in a statement on Monday, June 16, 2025.

They also demanded the cessation of civil aircraft flights to Intan Jaya. They accused the aircraft of transporting Indonesian military personnel from Nabire and Timika to Intan Jaya.

Threats of execution were also directed at the West Papua Army (WPA) by TPNPB Kodap VIII Intan Jaya. They were asked to stop monitoring the construction of the road from Magataga to Ugimba. If the road construction continues, TPNPB Intan Jaya will burn all the heavy equipment used for construction and shoot the road workers. "The Regent of Intan Jaya, Head of the Village Community Empowerment Agency (BPMK) Yoakim Mujizau, is ready to take responsibility," he said.

Sebby added that the TPNPB Central Headquarters management urged all road workers in Intan Jaya to immediately cease construction activities. TPNPB OPM will not hesitate to shoot if road construction continues.

The construction of roads and bridges is considered to facilitate military operations in Intan Jaya and the entry of companies into Intan Jaya. TPNPB considers the construction to potentially lead to shooting of civilians. "Thus, shooting of mothers and small children may occur," he said.

TPNPB OPM also urged all Papuan people and TPNPB forces in 36 Defense Regional Commands to close down illegal gold mines allegedly managed by the Indonesian military. They allow the Papuan people to search for gold themselves as long as they do not collaborate with Indonesian intelligence, with the threat of execution if discovered.

Editor's Choice: Chronology of OPM Attack: TNI Soldier Killed in Yahukimo, Papua


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2) Chronology of OPM Attack: TNI Soldier Killed in Yahukimo, Papua  
Reporter Novali Panji Nugroho 
June 17, 2025 | 10:56 am

TEMPO.COJakarta - A soldier from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) of Kodim 1715/Yahukimo named Serka Seger Mulyana became the victim of a fatal attack carried out by the Free Papua Movement (OPM) on Monday, June 16, 2025. The military soldier was killed after being shot on the Kali Biru Bridge, Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua.

Head of the TNI Information Center or Kapuspen TNI, Major General Kristomei Sianturi, stated that the incident began when the victim was on his way home from the hospital to the headquarters of Kodim 1715/Yahukimo. At that time, according to Kristomei, the TNI soldier was assigned to pick up medications at the Dekai Regional General Hospital for the sick military personnel.

Serka Seger rode a motorcycle with three other TNI members to go to the hospital. However, when returning to the headquarters, Serka Seger was alone on his ride.

"On his way home around 10:45 WIT (Eastern Indonesian Time), he was ambushed and suddenly shot by an armed separatist group in the area of the Kali Biru Bridge," said Kristomei in his written statement on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

He said that the victim was taken to the Dekai Regional Hospital after his body was found on the side of the road. However, Serka Seger was declared deceased at 11:10 WIT.

Kristomei stated that several gunshot and stab wounds were found on the victim's body. "Gunshot wound on the right chest, slash wounds on the neck, chin, left hand, and left wrist. As well as a stab wound in the left chest by the OPM," he said.

He expressed his strong condemnation of the OPM's actions in killing the military soldier. According to him, the actions carried out by the OPM group in Yahukimo were inhumane.

"We condemn it. TNI will continue to take measured and proportional steps against every armed violence perpetrator that disrupts stability and security in Papua," said Kristomei.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement or TPNPB-OPM, Sebby Sambom, claimed that the victim was killed after a shootout with his militia group in Yahukimo. He stated that the shooting of the military soldier was planned by their group in Kodap Yahukimo.


"We've planned it, so we are ready to take responsibility for the shooting," said Sebby in his statement on Monday, June 16, 2025.

Editor's Choice: TNI Condemns OPM Shooting That Killed Soldier in Yahukimo



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3) Police accused of shooting Papuan teenager in Dogiyai

On 12 June 2025, police officers reportedly opened fire while patrolling the Deiyapa Village, Kamu Timur District, Dogiyai Regency, Papua Tengah Province, injuring a 17-year-old Papuan, Jebulon Pigai. According to witness accounts, the police officers released shots without an obvious reason. Jebulon, who was sitting in front of his home at the time of the shooting, sustained a bullet wound in the right thigh. Following the shooting, the vehicles immediately left the scene, leaving the injured teenager behind. The incident has sparked public outrage, with community leaders demanding that the Dogiyai Police Chief disclose the identity of those responsible and ensure accountability.
At approximately 2:30 pm, a car convoy consisting of eight white Avanza cars, reportedly under the command of the Dogiyai Police Chief, was seen travelling from Ugapuga to Moanemani. During the transit, the convoy passed through Deiyapa, where Jebulon Pigai was sitting outside his home. According to multiple eyewitness testimonies, shots were fired from one of the vehicles without provocation or prior warning, striking Jebulon in the right thigh. The convoy then left the scene. The victim did not receive on-site medical attention from the authorities. Residents carried Jebulon inside the family’s house and provided first aid (see photos below, source: independent HRD).
In contrast to community accounts, the Dogiyai Police denied any involvement, calling the incident a “hoax” and alleging that no official patrols were conducted on that day. However, a subsequent statement by the Central Papua Police Chief acknowledged a police presence in the area and described an alleged confrontation with youths engaging in extortion. The police claim that warning shots were fired after officers were threatened with machetes, yet no official injury report was filed. The existence of civilian victims was downplayed or denied.
The local community has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the shooting, with demands directed at the Dogiyai Police Chief to identify and prosecute the perpetrators. There is an urgent need for forensic examination, collection of eyewitness statements, and medical documentation to verify the facts.
Militarised policing and disproportionate force against Papuan civilians have significantly increased in the Dogiyai Regency in the past weeks. The incident is already the second of this pattern within the last month. On 23 May 2025, joint security forces reportedly opened fire and shot indiscriminately at civilians, injuring five Papuan minors in the Kimupugi Village, Kamu District. The police officers were searching for an unidentified group of persons who had thrown stones at the police post in the Pasar Lama Market in Moanemani.
This incident constitutes a potential arbitrary use of lethal force by state actors. Under international human rights law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a party, the right to life (Article 6) must be protected and respected. Law enforcement officers are required to use force only when strictly necessary and proportionate to the threat posed. The reported shooting of an unarmed person without prior warning or evident threat violates the principles of necessity and proportionality and may amount to a serious human rights violation. Furthermore, the lack of immediate medical assistance, the flight of the police from the scene, and conflicting narratives from official sources demonstrate a failure to ensure accountability and adequate investigation, which is a breach of the state’s duty to protect life and prevent impunity. The refusal to acknowledge the victim, alongside attempts to discredit community testimonies, also reflects a pattern of institutional denial and intimidation, commonly reported in other parts of West Papua

Jebulon Pigai receiving first aid at his home in Deiyapa Village, 12 June 2025


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4) Ministry, Papuan provinces tie up to end malaria by 2030  
June 17, 2025 17:35 GMT+700


Badung, Bali (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Health has established cooperation with the governors of all provinces in Papua to achieve the target of eliminating malaria by 2030.

"We agreed on two agreements here, namely, first, cooperation with all governors in Papua for the target of eliminating malaria in Papua by 2030," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin informed.

Second, the ministry has forged cooperation with the neighboring country of Papua New Guinea in anti-dengue efforts, the minister said at the 9th Asia Pacific Leaders' Summit on Malaria Elimination in Badung, Bali, on Tuesday.

Sadikin emphasized the importance of reducing the number of malaria cases in Papua, considering the province accounts for 90 percent of cases detected in the country.

He informed that out of the 514 districts and cities in Indonesia, only 79 percent have been declared malaria-free. The rest are mostly regions in Papua, he said.

"There are a few in Nusa Tenggara and Kalimantan, but if we can eliminate it in Papua, 90 percent (of cases) will be resolved," the minister explained.

During the summit on Tuesday, Sadikin presented awards to a number of regions in Indonesia that have reduced malaria cases. They included West Sumbawa district in West Nusa Tenggara, Aceh Jaya district in Aceh, and South Buru district in Maluku.

Those regions implemented innovative measures to reduce malaria cases, such as setting up village-level malaria posts and providing malaria education to the community.

On the same occasion, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Ribka Haluk, who was born in Papua, assured that she would take responsibility for guiding the regional heads in Papua.

She further said that the Ministry of Home Affairs needs to ensure that funds for malaria elimination are prepared by all six provinces of Papua.

Related news: RI Govt focusing on anti-malaria efforts in Papua amid case spike

Related news: Indonesia leads Asia Pacific malaria elimination by 2030

Translator: Ni Putu Putri, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti




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5) Govt picks Papuan regions for mass malaria medication pilot  
June 17, 2025 17:47 GMT+700

Badung, Bali (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has designated Mimika district in Central Papua province and Keerom district in Papua province as pilot regions for a mass malaria medication program, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

Speaking at the 9th Asia Pacific Leaders' Summit on Malaria in Badung district, Bali, on Tuesday, he said that the initiative could help bring down malaria infections significantly, but would require a substantial budget.

"We are currently assessing whether the program is economically feasible," he informed, adding that the assessment is necessary given the large size of the targeted population.

He explained that the two districts have been selected for the pilot given their high malaria prevalence, especially in forested areas. He added that Papuan regions account for 90 percent of Indonesia's total malaria cases.

The Health Ministry has been carrying out preventive measures in the regions, including malaria screening for two million people, which is conducted annually, he said.

The ministry has also received support from the Global Fund in distributing 3.3 million long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

"We are hoping for political commitments, including from regional governments, to help intensify these efforts so that we can eliminate malaria by 2030," Sadikin said.

The ministry has forged cooperation with all provincial governments across the Papuan region, as well as the government of neighboring country Papua New Guinea for malaria prevention, he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Ribka Haluk, who was born in Papua, affirmed that she would mentor the provincial governments.

Malaria is the fourth most prevalent infectious disease in Indonesia, with an average of 500 thousand cases and 150 deaths recorded per year. Notably, 407 out of 514 Indonesian districts and cities have been declared malaria-free so far.



Related news: Ministry, Papuan provinces tie up to end malaria by 2030

Related news: Indonesia leads Asia Pacific malaria elimination by 2030

Related news: Indonesia seeks collaborative boost for malaria elimination efforts



Translator: Ni Putu P, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala

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